Beijing – Bell and Drum Tower Area Regeneration

The Bell and Drum Tower area is located in the center of Beijing and is part of the city’s historic and cultural zone. The Bell and Drum Towers are important markers of ancient Chinese urban planning and sit on Beijing’s Central Axis, a 7.8 km stretch that runs through the city’s core. The redevelopment of this area has thus involved not only urban renewal but also the protection of historical and cultural heritage. A renewal project, known as the “Restoration and Improvement of Bell and Drum Tower Square,” officially started in 2010, aiming to improve infrastructure and living conditions in the area. However, the project quickly became controversial due to concerns over heritage preservation. It also attracted a variety of different opinions from residents. Our research investigate whether and how social media empowers citizens, experts, journalists, and civil society organizations to influence decision-making and promote a collaborative planning process. (Read More)

The residential area initially involved in the BDTA regeneration project (drawn according to one interviewee’s records)

Shanghai – Community Garden Movement

The construction of community gardens has become a movement in Shanghai and many Chinese cities. It aims to improve poorly maintained green areas or transform brownfields into green spaces, which may include community facilities. These initiative have been facilitated by civil society organizations and local communities, often with the support of local governments. We have explored collaborative governance in the development of community gardens, including how key actors use social media to foster leadership through legitimacy, networking, knowledge sharing, and resource exchange. (Read More)

Gathering public inputs for a community garden project (Photo from the community garden leader)

Xiamen – River Chief System

Xiamen is a sub-provincial city located in the southeastern China. In 1980, it was designated as one of the special economic zones, with regulations designed to attract foreign investment. Today, the city has a well-developed economy, drawing both domestic migrants and international visitors and residents. As a coastal city renowned for its picturesque landscapes, environmental quality has attracted wide public attention. This is attributed to the high levels of education and environmental awareness of its citizens, a growing middle class invested in maintaining a high quality of life, and the city’s reputation for its clean and attractive environment. Given these factors, we choose Xiamen as a case study to examine the implementation and effectiveness of the River Chief System, with a focus on institutional design and accountability mechanisms in collaborative water governance. (Read More)

The map of Xiamen with territorial borders and inland water bodies (from Xiaomeng Zhou)

Guangzhou – Enning Road Redevelopment  Project

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China, is one of the most populous built-up metropolitan areas in the world. The city has a history of more than 2000 years. As a major port city with a strategic location on the Pearl River, Guangzhou has long been a gateway for trade and cultural exchange between China and the world. Since the early 2000s, Guangzhou began an ambitious urban redevelopment journey, transitioning from large-scale demolition and reconstruction to more refined, micro-scale regeneration by 2015. One prominent example is the Enning Road redevelopment project, which started in 2006 and underwent significant planning transformations over the years. The shift to a micro-regeneration approach in 2016 marked a turning point of the project. In 2018, in response to the strong demand for citizen participation, the Enning Road Co-Creation Committee was established, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders. By focusing on the processes of micro-regeneration, we explore the deliberative mechanisms used in this collaborative planning practice. (Read More)

Renovated area in the Enning Road micro-regeneration project (photo from Xiaomeng Zhou, July 2022)

Shenzhen – Third-party Actors in Urban Redevelopment

Shenzhen, as the first special economic zone, has experienced rapid urban transformation over the past few decades. In recent years, urban redevelopment that is often driven by market forces has taken place in historical areas and old villages. Third-party actors, such as planners, architects, and civil society organizations, play a crucial role in organizing collaborative design activities and facilitating public debate on the protection of cultural heritage. We have investigated the role of third-party actors in preserving cultural heritage and facilitating more collaborative planning processes with the support of social media. (Read More)

Collaborative design activity named “Seeking consensus on Hubei” （photo from the Hubei 120 Urban Public Program）

The Role of Community Planners in Collaborative Planning

Cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Chengdu have implemented the community planner policy, which is one of the most important institutional responses for addressing the increasingly diverse interests and complex conflicts in urban affairs at the neighborhood level. It aims to facilitate the effective implementation and contextualization of upper-level planning and policies, since public sectors at the local level lack planning expertise. Community planners are crucial actors, who facilitate, moderate, and mediate collaborative processes. Our research explores the complex roles of community planners in collaborative processes, and the influence of specific local institutional contexts on these roles. (Read More)

Collaborative workshops led by community planners (photo from Xing Zhao)